'Floating' guitars in your collection?

shaunk26

Wasn't sure how to word this but the above seems close enough. I bought a classic player 60s strat in the summer for £400 on impulse. I plan to maybe enjoy it for a year or then move it on. Anyone else do similar? 

merlin

gazrichards

All the time! Always have one for testing and flipping

Sassafras

I tend to keep mine. I wouldn't buy 'em if I didn't intend keeping them.

fretfinder

I don’t think I’ve ever bought a guitar with the intention of flipping it a few months later. But when I buy a guitar I honestly don’t know at that point if I’m going to keep it long term or not. It takes me weeks or months of noodling and tweaking to decide if a guitar is going to be a keeper long term. Also most of mine have been bought remotely in recent years, but it’s the same even if I’ve tried the guitar in a shop or at the seller’s house before buying. I’m not one of those people who thinks they can tell from a first play that this guitar is ‘the one’.  

usedtobe

I mostly buy guitars with the intention of keeping them. Occasionally I buy something just to scratch an itch. Even then, I buy it hoping I’ll keep it.

Alterlifeson

I have had one 'floater' (no sniggering please). An MIM Cabronita that Thomann were blowing out a couple of years ago. Only really bought it to scratch the itch but moved it on as it didn't get enough play time.

Dan_Halen

I buy them to try them out then sometimes they stay and sometimes they go. As long as you don't over pay or drop it then you can sell it on and get your money back. Or just keep it.

fretmeister

I never plan anything like that. I buy in the hope that I want to keep it.
Sometimes that happens.

I never plan to sell before I buy though. That's weird - unless it's obviously an investment item.

octatonic

Nope- I don't work like that.

dogload

I've got an Epiphone Worn Cherry Firebird that I picked up for 80 quid a couple of years ago because it had a knackered tuner. After half an hour I'd fixed the tuner and restrung it and thought 'kerching!'
Two and a half years later I still have it and use it a lot - it's just such a nice guitar to play!
Oh and there's my Duesenberg bass that I keep trying to sell but never do!

axisus

Selling is way too much hassle. I think I'm gonna keep every purchase, but I don't.

stickyfiddle

I've bought a couple on the basis that I don't know if I'll keep them forever but would like to try a specific model. But I've never bought with the express intention of selling at a fixed point later.

Sassafras

Skipped

Yes. I did exactly that OP. I bought a Classic Player Strat to understand what Strats are about. I played it for a few months and pretty much understood why many,many people think that the Fender Stratocaster is the world's greatest guitar. And then sold it.

SPECTRUM001

I am on a constant quest to find ‘the one’ (or two or three), so not sure I think about having a guitar for a while and then moving it on.

Either it works for me or doesn’t. 

Hmmm, that said, I currently own an expensive Strat that I really really like, but may sell at some point. I guess that means it is not ‘the one’ due to it being a little too nice.

Ultimately, if I am enjoying a guitar and it ticks the right boxes, then I don’t think I would want to move it on.

LastMantra

No. I went through about six cheaper guitars before I figured out what I liked then bought a couple of decent quality ones and have been happy with them for years now.

Not that I don't like looking at guitars and seeing what you guys are buying and selling. Just don't really see the point in chopping and changing all the time. I don't believe in finding "the one" either, I think a guitar becomes the one through time and playing. Plus multiple set-ups and tweaks. 

RaymondLin

I never buy guitars I don't intend to keep in the first instance. So, no.

Voxman

Sassafras said:

I tend to keep mine. I wouldn't buy 'em if I didn't intend keeping them.

This.    I'm fortunate in that I find it quite easy to adapt to and switch between 21, 22 and 24 frets, different neck and body shapes, different fingerboard and frets, weights, pick up type and response etc. It's very unusual for me not to gel with a guitar I've bought and so far, that's not happened. For me it's all about discovering and working with each guitars individual charms and differences.  By being flexible I've discovered some gems that otherwise I might not have appreciated.

I appreciate that a lot of folk can be more sensitive to the above factors and genuinely struggle to gel with some guitars. Also, that others just get bored and fancy a change. So I'm very lucky to be in a position that I can buy a guitar without having to raise funds from the sale of another, and able to keep the guitars I buy and chop and change between them depending on my mood. If I ever did sell a guitar, it would be more to do with freeing up space. I've added a shelf to my small den so I've freed up a bit of space and could buy another one or possibly two before having to think about selling anything. 

Eski

I kind of admire the guys who can essentially look at a purchase as a potential rental, i.e. if you don’t like it after a while move it on and just lose a few quid.

Unfortunately I’m not wired that way.  There’s a bit of laziness in there but mainly I’m very much an “it might come in handy in the future” kind of bloke!!

munckee

Because I have a 3 electrics rule I always assume everything is expendable otherwise I wouldn't be able to try other guitars.  I also keep flipping between dropping to 2 and back up to 3 again.  I have bought 3 guitars this year that have already gone which is a record for me I think.